Author's Note:
This chapter is going to take place after Isabella left Santa Marta from Caleb's POV. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 33:
(Caleb POV)
My Grandma has been ignoring me the last couple of days but Grandpa and I have been getting closer. I've been helping him work on the house and fence and things. Apparently even though they had the house built up from the ground 25 years of wear and tear have taken there toll and I needed to take my mind off Isabella. I saw Grandma watching us from the window as we were working on the fence, "When is she going to talk to me, again?" I asked. He shrugged, "I'm not really sure. She is pretty annoyed with you." I dropped the hammer, "About what?" My Grandpa just laughed shaking his head, "Sorry you just remind me a lot of John." I smiled at him, "Do you want to know anything about him from me?" He looked over at me and we began to talk about Papa.
After I was done working on the house with Grandpa, I decided to meet up with Lorenzo and the other soldiers from the Compound. We all caught up at the Garcia's place and it turns out that Moreano and Talia were hitting it off. I took that as it was time to leave and decided not to go home yet. I was walking through town and made my way over to the docks. I watched as the ships were loaded and unloaded all going to different ports. This used to be part of what Papa would do.
I then see a crate start to roll down one of the boats. I called out, "Watch out." I ran over as people were dodging out of the way and managed to stop it before setting it upright. A man came over to me, "Thanks for the assist." I nodded my head and he looked at me, "You're John's boy." I nodded my head again and held out my hand for him to shake, "Caleb." He nodded his head, "You come back with the rest of them." I nodded my head, "Yes sir." I decided not to mention my rank or roll in the Compound. He looked at me, "Are you interested in a job?" I looked at him, "I don't think I can travel right now, I just got back." He shook his head, "No, not a job like that. I need help loading and unloading the ships and bringing the goods to and from the marketplace. It's a lot of what your Papa did when he worked for me." Thoughts of my Papa leaving for work and coming home to Mama and me flooded my mind. I nodded my head, "Yeah I'd be interested." He smirked, "Great come to my office tomorrow and we can hash out the details."
- 1 week later -
I sat in the back garden after my shift at the docks, a lot better then working for Enrique might I add. I sat out there for a while just looking at everything, my focus always landed on the cacti though, when I heard the back door open. I saw my Grandma standing in the doorway and went over to her. "Are you ready to talk to me now?" I asked. She just rolled her eyes, "Let's go in the kitchen I think that it is time you heard a story about your Papa." I sat down at the table across from her. She then slid a photo across to me. I looked down and saw a young man standing in front of a ship, "That's your Papa." I nodded my head and smiled at it, "He told me that he used to work on a ship before he came here and that's how me met Mama."
She nodded her head, "Yeah that photo was taken the first time he met your Mama." This surprised me, "First time?" She nodded her head, "Yeah he came back home after that journey and couldn't stop talking about a woman named Marina." I smiled as she slid another photo towards me and it was of Papa with his arms wrapped around Mama as they were smiling and laughing. "He kept signing up for the voyages that were coming back here in hopes of seeing her again. He probably spent 3 years splitting his time between our home and here. Every time he went, I was told by the other men on the ship that after they unloaded he would disappear and work with the textile merchant and his daughter the entire time they were there." She then slid another photo over to me and it was Mama desperately holding onto Papa right in front of a boat, "And every time they had to say goodbye both were crushed."
I looked up at her, "What does this have to do with me?" She smiled shaking her head, "Your Papa would always be miserable the first couple of days that he'd be back and although he loved being around his family but, he always missed your Mama and then on one trip that he came back your Mama had been spending time with a boy from the village. He was absolutely crushed, although he'd never admit it and he didn't go back on the next journey to Santa Marta which didn't help things. Your Mama sent him a letter." She slid the note over to him, "That was the last time that your Papa boarded a boat from England to Colombia." She now had a sad smile on her face, "Your Papa almost let that woman go because he didn't fight to stay with her. I missed him when he left, but I knew that he was happier here with your Mama."
I let out a long breath, "What does this have to do with me though?" She smiled at me, "How do you feel now that Isabella being back home?" I shrugged, "I'm going to miss her, but I need to be here for now." She looked at me, "How would you feel if Isabella found someone else while you were here?" I scoffed, "She won't. She has rejected every man in her village." My Grandma smirked standing up, "That is what your Papa said about your Mama." "What does that mean?" I asked following her. She looked over at me, "Nothing. It's just your Papa said the same thing about your Mama a few times when he came home and she ended up finding someone else."
She shrugged again as I felt a twinge in my chest. Isabella doesn't like anyone in Encanto I remind myself. She has rejected all of them multiple times as far as I am aware. What if she changes her mind? As these thoughts kept circling in my head my Grandma went over to my Grandpa and looked back at me, "You Williams men always make the same mistake." I half-smirked at this one, "Well I'm a Ramones-Williams." She smiled, "Then maybe it won't take you as long to catch up."
- a few days later -
I was working in the shipyard helping to unload and incoming ship. "Ramones-Williams, get over here" I turned and saw my boss. I looked over the other people and told them where I was going. They nodded their heads and I went over to them. "Is everything alright?" I asked. He nodded his head, "Yeah of course. I just wanted to let you know that you can head out early. Rodrigo was supposed to pick up the goods that are for the ship later today but he can't, could you go instead?" I nodded my head, "Yeah that's fine." I stood up to leave and he nodded his head at me, "You know, you remind me a lot of your Papa." I smiled, "Thank you sir." I left and headed home.
As I got closer I saw a familiar looking cart parked in front of the house. I made my way inside, "I'm back." I called out. My Grandma came over, "We have company." I walked into the kitchen and saw, "Señor Ramierez?" He nodded his head towards me, "It is nice to see you again Caleb." I looked over at my Grandparents, "Um Señor Ramierez is from Encanto, what are you doing here? No one ever really leaves Encanto?" He stood up and took an envelope from his pocket, "Well given how I owe you and Isabella a great debt of gratitude for saving my little sister. So I'm here to deliver a letter to you from someone pretty important in town."
My eyes widened did Isabella send me a note. He handed me the letter, "Thank you." He nodded his head, "I better start heading back. If I leave now I might be able to make it to Encanto in 5 days." I looked at him, "Do you need a place to stay, you can head out tomorrow. Rest up before your trip?" He shook his head, "Thank you, but I want to get back to Nina." I watched as he rode off before opening the letter.
Dear Señor Caleb,
I never got a formal last name so I'm afraid that this is the best you are going to get. Her birthday is in 2 weeks and we have decided to throw her a party. I think she would really like it if you came. I think the entire family and I would appreciate this as well. Ever since Isabella and you disappeared and she came back she has not been the same. She was not happy before but, she is truly unhappy now. She is avoiding the town, her family, everything really. She is forcing herself to be unhappy again because she is worried that we won't forgive her. She seems to be doing better now, but...
I swallowed a lump in my throat as I continued to read. As I reached the signature my eyes bulged out of my head. I couldn't believe that they wrote to me. "What does it say Caleb?" My Grandma asked. I handed her the note as I stared down at my hands. She gasped, "You have to go Caleb." I looked at her. I looked at her, "I don't know. I mean if she is doing better won't going there only make things worse."
I felt a slap on the back of my head, "Williams' men." She muttered, "Every time it's the hard way." She was walking towards the front door, "Where are you going?" "To tell your boss that you are not going to be able to work next week and the week after" she shouted. I looked over at my Grandpa and he just patted my back, "Trust me you were going to end up going either way." "Is this what it's like to live with your family as an adult?" I asked. He stood up and nodded his head, "Yeah pretty much." I looked forward, "Well then I owe Isabella an apology for a time she freaked out because her family was looking for her." He laughed and left the room.